


Dark Forests

by Nobodystormcrow



Category: Dreaming of Sunshine - Silver Queen, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Deer, Fix-It, Free Orcs, Gen, In which Eöl's much less creepy, Nan Elmoth, Nirnaeth Arnoediad fix-it, and his morals are quite improved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:28:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23632360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nobodystormcrow/pseuds/Nobodystormcrow
Summary: Shikako is born as the Lord of Nan Elmoth's daughter, long before he ever became Lord of Nan Elmoth. And of course, the rest of Team Seven will follow one of their own, even into Arda, where and when the Enemy of the World walked upon it. Gods, after all, were nothing new.A Song was Sung and it made Eä, yet they were from outside it and unbound to its tune. If not the souls of the Secondborn incarnate into the First, who else can avert a preordained doom?
Relationships: Aredhel/Eöl (Tolkien), Dai-nana-han | Team 7 & Nara Shikako, Nara Shikako & Aredhel, Nara Shikako & Eöl, Nara Shikako & Maeglin
Comments: 56
Kudos: 286
Collections: Heliocentrism — a Dreaming of Sunshine recursive collection





	1. Chapter 1

She is reborn in darkness, fire, and smoke, named Amdiriel, daughter of hope by her mother, for it was hope that drove her to bear a child in the Iron Hells; hope given to her by a fellow thrall who still believed in escape, hope so strong that it lit a fire within her too—one fierce for being fed with love.

Shikako, now called Amdiriel, remembered little of her infancy, swaddled on her father's chest as he and her mother fled from the slave camps of the Moringotto. There was the jostle of pursuit, a woman's scream, a hail of arrows, and gnawing hunger. She grows up in halls of stone, amongst stout and bearded Khazâd—dwarves. Her father is an elf, one of the Avari. He is tall, dark-eyed, sharp-eared, and scar-skinned. Like the dwarves, he has a love of the forge, but there is rage in Eöl's works, a spiteful refusal for Angband to take away from him his craft, a will to take what he was forced to learn in darkness and pain and make it his own.

There is love for his daughter in his heart as well, absolute and uncompromising, and Shikako is wary, for she has seen what love can be twisted into, when protectiveness turns to fear turns to jealousy to possessiveness. And yet she loves her father as well, despite his dark temper and darker turns, for his patience as he guided her hands in the forge, and the delight they shared at her first creation; his understanding when she found her talent to lie more strongly in the laying of enchantment, not the shaping of metal, and his seeking of Khazâd masters of such arts when his own knowledge was too cruel; for stories of her mother, and his descriptions of a fey and wide world. It was out of love that she suggested Eöl follow the dwarven custom and remake the marks of his enslavement into symbols of his kinship with ink and needle, and it was for this suggestion that the Dark Elf finally gave his daughter her father-name, Saelcheneb, wise-eyed, as he marked that her eyes indeed held a wisdom beyond her scant years, and so despite them, he heeded her counsel when it was given.

Long they dwelled with the Khazâd, and only rarely walked beneath the stars or tree boughs as she grew--Eöl, a former thrall, would not bow to any yoke, and so aboded among dwarves, with whom he was one among equals, neither vassal nor lord. But they did yearn for open skies and forests, no matter the beauty of those carved of stone, and so wandered at times close to Elvish realms. It was in Nan Elmoth that they found the sky-iron that would become the base for Galvorn, and began their explorations into its forging. Yet Nan Elmoth was the land of Elu Thingol, husband of Melian the Maia, kinsman and liege-lord of Eöl, and for that land and its bounty to be his own would Eöl need to treat with him. And so the master smith devised a plan with his wise daughter. From the craft of three worlds: Gelel's song and a fuiinjutsu mistress's wisdom; the stone-lords' skill in enchanting their forgework; and unspoken, unacknowledged, but undeniable, the dark teachings of the Iron Hells, came three blades: Anglachel, tribute to Thingol for the lordship of Nan Elmoth; Anguirel, the Lord of Nan Elmoth's own sword; Raiken, marked with odd, curved runes none but Saelcheneb could read, and named a nonsense name had her smile when it was spoken.

* * *

Nan Elmoth is a strange land, with trees that block out the sun and speak to their lord and young lady in twisted tongues. It is grasping, and enchanting, and fey in the worst of ways. Yet it is the land Eöl had chosen to live in, bought with one of his black swords. There is beauty in its eternal twilight. Deer walk on spindly legs, white harts and speckled fawns both, following their young Lady as their fellows did in a past life. Fungi bloom, bioluminescent, the larger ones lanterns, the smaller ones dotting the canopy in constellations like stars. However, danger lurked too, subtle enough to not be noticed, insidious creeping tendrils of genjutsu that snared her father's mind, whispering grasping thoughts, legacy of Melian and Thingol's centuries-long courtship. It was something Shikako could not stop at the root, but she was not powerless, and so she did her best to keep her father from retreating into his shell, urging him to speak with others and take interest in the world about him, even if she did find herself doing more than her fair share of ruling of Nan Elmoth's sparse population. Eöl, on the other hand, simply found his balance between a gruff dislike of socializing and retreating completely into his world of iron and fire.

The world was not peaceful, outside of their dark forest, where borders were maintained by father and daughter's spells, sung into the woods to mislead and dismay. Elves were stolen by the Enemy, tormented and returned changed and chained. Orcs skirmished at borders. And Shikako has some inkling of how the Song should go.  
It wouldn't go that way. She had decided that, sometime between the long peace of her childhood and her comprehension of the length of her lifespan.

The tragedy of orcs was that they were not just brutal beasts--and had the Bijuu not been called that too? In war they were the enemy, but the Enemy had done them great wrong as well. As to those who were not orcs, but thralls like her parents had been, who had sacrificed all to escape in desperation, only to be shunned by those with whom they hoped to find peace? They were deserving of aid as well. The peoples of Nan Elmoth had regarded their lord with wary suspicion, for he bore marks of the Enemy upon his skin, so Amdiriel had sung gaily, danced carefree, and governed well, and they loved their lord and his daughter now. But this was harder, to convince them to help those they would call foe or foe-well-hidden. Yet it had to be done.

First, she learned to fight again, with sword and spear, javelin and dirk, bow and arrow and long knives.

And then as she rode upon her antlered steed to patrol the land, she fought to capture, not to kill.

* * *

"Though we marry, you won't be the Lady of Nan Elmoth." Warned the Dark Elf who was lord of these strange lands, "She is my daughter, and rules our people well. You, _golodh_ Aredhel, have not earned that title as Amdiriel Saelcheneb has."

Aredhel was the huntress, a warrior and no stateswoman, and so she accepted the terms gladly, even if she feared that the daughter of her husband would be to her as Feanor to Indis, or the reverse.

They met as she hunted in the woods, a hand staying her bow as she drew it upon a orc.

"No one who lives under these eves is a friend of Morgoth." Said the woman, who bore geometric tattoos in the same style as Eöl upon well-muscled arms. She hailed the orc by name, and as the orc approached, Aredhel could see how though she was an orc, her bearing bore little similarity to those who the Noldor battled: open where they were closed, confident where they were wary, calm where they were aggressive. And though she too held a blade in hand, it was a small one, meant for cutting plants and not for rending flesh.

"Seng, this is the wife of my father, Aredhel. Aredhel, this is Seng the Healer, mistress of herblore." She flashed Aredhel a mischievous smile, "And I am Amdiriel, daughter of your husband."

The orc-woman--no, Seng, held out a calloused hand, "A pleasure to meet you, Aredhel."

Clasping it awkwardly, hoping that it was the custom, Aredhel answered in kind.

Amdiriel laughed, "You're supposed to shake," And then she said a word that Aredhel later learned to be "stepmother", a concept which neither Quenya nor Sindarin possessed.

Aredhel was relieved when Amdiriel turned out to be much more inclined to friendliness than her uncle, but greater still was the shock when the runes inscribed upon the Lady of Nan Elmoth's sword were of the same kind as were used by her cousins Celegorm and the Ambarussa. Rai. Ken. Thunder. Sword. When she told her stepdaughter that, Amdiriel had been lit up by her namesake hope, and strong was the friendship that formed between the three sons of Feanor and the daughter of Eöl.

* * *

Aredhel's marriage was not without tension, but it did not dampen the fierceness of their love. In time came sweet Lomion, whose delayed father-name Amdiriel explained as the custom of their people. Lomion grew under the leafy boughs of great trees, in an eerie eternal twilight, with a taciturn father who made the wondrous toys, a fierce mother who told him tales of wondrous lands, and a elder sister who was wise and yet worldly.

Lomion grew in a family that bickered but reconciled, made of disparate parts as was their realm, with Saelcheneb the wise-eyed the mediator. Though Eöl wished to shun sunlight, at his family's urging they watched at times the rising and setting of the sun, and marveled at the moon and stars together, even if in deference to his wishes they sheltered within deep shadow at noon. Though Aredhel felt ill at ease at first, living by her age-old enemies, heeding her stepdaughter's advice she joined them in their hunts and shared in with them the woodcraft of her people, even as they showed her theirs, and in time, speaking their language and learning their culture, thought of them no different from her own.

Maeglin, at twelve, finally shed "son" for "Sharp-Glance", a prince of both his parents' realms, growing up into a great smith and no poor hunter, as beloved as his sister among the peoples of the land. But Aredhel's wanderlust once again stirred, and her heart yearned for the lands beyond the dark forest, and it seemed good to her that her son know himself as Prince of Gondolin also.

Her husband and his daughter rode by her side on the great deer of the forest, while she sat astride elf-horse she had ridden into the forest and the colt it had sired bore Lomion. From sunset to sunrise they travelled together, and then rested for a while in the lands of Celegorm and Curufin. Sorrow-filled was their parting, yet they were comforted by the knowledge that in time would they meet again. Though no eye was dry as Gondolin's White Lady left for her brother's city, neither was there an absence of smiles.

* * *

At the battle that would have been called Nirnaeth Arnoediad, the Song was truly changed, and Shikako's efforts, and those of the rest of Team Seven as well, averted a Doom once more. Then also did husband, dark in his black Galvorn, and wife, resplendent in her shining mail, reunite, and they dealt death to their foes.

From Nargothrond came a grand host led by Finrod Felagund, dwarf-friend and friend of men, who had with the aid of Celegorm and the Ambarussa redeemed the oath he had marked with Barahir's Ring.

Ten thousand marched from the valley of star-dusk, armed with weapons forged by the greatest of elven weapons-smiths, and beneath their helms were faces orcish and elven both, for Morgoth Bauglir was the Enemy of all the peoples of Middle Earth, even the ones he sought to twist into his own. Another ten thousand the Lord of Nan Elmoth led in the name of his liege Thingol, who, with no new grudge against the Noldor and moved by both his nephew Finrod's pleas and those of Daeron the singer, did send a host of Doriathim to join the Union of Maedhros, Beleg and Mablung his Marchwardens chief among them, with the queer-tempered bard the Herald.

Amrod and Amras, Naruto and Sasuke, brothers by blood this time, joined Shikako as together they battled as in their old lives, and she, with Raiken, sister of Anglachel, slew Glaurung before the gates of Angband, where the blood of their kin had long been shed in torment.

Celegorm, their old teacher Kakashi, rode at Aredhel his cousin's side. With arrows her son Maeglin had forged in the smithies of Gondolin and redesigned even now in the camps behind her, building upon the Sealing he had learned from his sister, the twin archers brought down Balrogs with lightning and ice.

At long last Morgoth himself was forced onto the battlefield, and by the hand of Fingon Fingolfin's son was the death of Finwe avenged.

Though Sauron had fled and deaths were many, no few tears shed afterwards were out of joy, for victory was the of the Free Peoples, and even creatures who were once considered of the enemy now counted among their number. 

* * *

Sai is Daeron.


	2. Chapter 2

“We don’t have the manpower to secure our lands.” Saelcheneb frowned down at the census she had taken, written down in strange characters she had invented wholescale.

Eöl traced the tallies his daughter had set down beside the written numbers and agreed, “Our only advantage is that we don’t have anything worth raiding.”

“We’ll have something soon.” Saelcheneb said grimly.

“Refuge in secrecy would not be feasible.” He grimaced, “The Enemy’s eye will be drawn to Elu’s realm and we are too close to pass unnoticed. It will be through open resistance that we keep our freedom.”

“Not by force of arms—not unless we make significant advancements.” She murmured, “Do you have another idea, ada?”

“Song.” He had experienced the power that even lesser gods could bring to bear, been forced to learn some fragments of more-than-smithcraft at Gorthaur’s feet. If his steel could stand up to the lieutenant of Angband’s fires, some other sorcery should be capable of resisting his might.

“Nan Elmoth wants to entrance and enchant.”

“I know how to bind and mislead, it can be applied to this forest as well. But the master of turning land to its own defense is Melian.”

“She is a Maia.” Saelcheneb noted, “If anyone has the knowledge to wield Song against the Enemy, it would be her.”

“I am loathe to meet another of Gorthaur’s kind.” He winced, “And I doubt the wisdom of leaving our land ungoverned.”

“She has a daughter, and I am your daughter. It would strengthen ties with King Thingol if I served as Luthien’s handmaiden for a spell.”

“How many decades?” He chuckled at her expression, “Don’t worry, Amdiriel, I can hold the place together in your absence. Learning Song took more than a decade for me—even if you needed only half the time, it would still be a work of years.”

“I trust you can.” She grinned, “I also trust Lichieth to make sure you talk to people every once in a while.”

“And here I thought sending you away would let me have some peace and quiet for a change.”

* * *

_There once did live a maiden fair,_

_Her heart so brave and bold and kind,_

_Her eyes the blue of sapphires,_

_Her hair, so long, like gold did shine._

_With might of arms and comrades stout,_

_By strength of heart and force of will,_

_This guardian of love and law,_

_Creatures both fierce and fell did kill._

Daeron was peculiar for singing of things that never were, ballads of dreams and not the waking world. This particularly long ballad, titled Warriors of the Stars, sounded suspiciously familiar to Shikako’s ears.

Luthien laughed gaily, “Daeron’s playing has made more than a few maidens take up sword and Song and spear! Seeing thine face I would say that thou hast just joined their number, had thou not been already among them, long before thou hearkened to his song!”

“It is an inspiring song, my lady,” Amdiriel agreed, “I would like to speak at length its composer when you wish to be free of our company.”

“That will not happen for days yet!” Luthien stood, pulling her handmaiden up with her, “For now, let us dance and sing, and I shall instruct thee in the basics of Song.”

By the end of their session, with Amdiriel lying breathless in the grass, her Lady braiding her hair and somehow not yet weary, she had mastered persuading trees to deepen their shade, and coaxed new leaves of tender green to grow. The Princess, on the other hand, could effortlessly produce profusions of flowers, and Sing them into a riot of colors. It was terrifyingly large gap in power, for all that Luthien assured her companion that she was progressing with great swiftness.

The Princess left to dance farther in the forest, leaving her musician and handmaiden to rest.

* * *

“ _I remember telling Sai this story long ago._ ” Shikako said to the sky, in a language of another people hidden in the leaves. “ _I am Shikako Nara. Who are you?_ ”

And Daeron smiled that ridiculous smile, “ _Sai, of course, Shikako._ ”

“Music seems a bit different from your old art.”

“Yes. I have introduced modified katakana as a writing system to Doriath. However, there is no chakra in this world, so my ink creatures don’t work anymore, no more than your shadow bind, though you are figuring out alternatives for your techniques too.”

“I’ve been using katakana for my notes as well.” Shikako winced, “We will need to come up with a cover story.”

“Easy.” Sai smiled his sincerely insincere smile, “I am teaching you katakana. It will give us an opportunity to spend time together without interruption.”

“Then that’s settled—let’s talk of lighter things: how is your life as Court Minstrel?”

“Very interesting. Lord Saeros commissions colorful things involving wildlife.” Sai kept a poker face throughout his increasingly wild recounting of what he had sung for the Lord, including, but not limited to fantastical descriptions of the hunting habits of birds and bawdy tunes involving cat penises. Shikako was rather unfortunately uncertain as to whether or not her old teammate was joking.


	3. Chapter 3

“That’s wrong!” Amrod sprang before his father, breaking the fell ranks of the Feanorians. “Elwë and his people are in Beleriand too! Morgoth’s a threat to everyone, but especially them! There’re your kinsmen across the sea, and they need aid without delay. If you won’t help your people directly, then let us go to them in your stead, and do your duty to your family by ferrying us there!”

“Just so, King of the Teleri!” Feanáro laughed his fey laugh and laid a hand on his son’s shoulder, “Hold you your ships so dear that you deny succour to your very blood, or will you heed my son?”

* * *

“Daeron?” Luthien hissed, a low note from the back of her throat freezing the traitorous singer where he stood, “Why are you here? Is my father yet unsatisfied with the fruits of your labours, that you come to spy upon me once more?”

The singer held up conciliatory hands, “Peace, princess. King Thingol ordered me to seek you, and bring you back to Doriath unharmed.”

“Think you that I would return to safety while doom and danger shadow my beloved?” Luthien asked, sharp and fierce.

Daeron smiled his irritating smile, his eyes curved into crescents, “I can not overpower you, princess, let alone force you back to the king unharmed. I have therefore judged the best course of action to be to endear myself to you by aiding you on your mission, and hopefully, once this quest is finished, to convince you to return to Doriath.”

“And you expect me to believe you?” Luthien asked, eyebrow raised and a hand on the clasp of her shadow-cloak.

“I would ask you to believe me, my lady.” Amdiriel melted out of the night, armoured in black Galvorn with a sister to Thingol’s Anglachel at her side. “A sword would be helpful in your quest, and I can provide one."

"It's the most efficient way to kill orcs." Daeron added helpfully.

* * *

Reinforcements. The lord of Nargothrond all but collapsed into his white-haired companion. Beren slumped in relief at the sight of the Sindarin trio, eyes widening behind his rusted orc-helm and the Song-spell that did not hide his renewed hope. Luthien swept between her beloved and danger. Shikako stepped beside Kakashi. And Sai strummed his lute with a distinct amount of insouciance, elbowing away an exhausted Finrod to grin up at their fallen Maia foe.

_Lord of Werewolves, Morgoth's thrall,_

_What's the source of your bitter gall?_

_Can it be that you've a wart?_

_Or is it that your dick's too short?_

To be fair, Sauron's shocked indignation did allow them to gain the upper hand.

* * *

Curufin glared. Maedhros furrowed his brow. Eöl glared.

The Lord of Nan Elmoth broke the hostile silence, "You need all three jewels for your idiocy, don't you? King says he'll surrender it without question once you present him with proof that you've got the other two. It's staying in the safety behind the Girdle until then." He snorted, "Specifics with the minstrel and my daughter. Also, half of my soldiers are orcs. They're friendlies. Get used to it because I'm not denying them their pound of flesh. Now, where're my wife and son?"

"Turgon's camp."

"Thanks. Also, good job on giving that forge-Maia that name. Sauron's a whole less of a mouthful than that sadistic psychopath. Here's decent armour. Call it a hero's discount."

* * *

" _Golodh_ armor?" The Dark Elf complained to his wife, "Your lot are jewelsmithing pansies, not weaponsmiths. Odds are, that piece of scrap will split the moment a Balrog hits it--probably prettily, but we're trying to survive this battle, because I'm sure not going to golodh lands."

Aredhel snorted and kicked him, "I'm not wearing Galvorn, it's heavy, black, and ridiculous. I'm light cavalry, and I want to avoid friendly fire."

"You could have sent in design specifications _beforehand_." Eöl grumbled, "Is it too much to ask for my wife to wear armour I forged for her with my own hands? Luckily, I came prepared."

He threw her a velvet-wrapped bundle.

"What, a riding dress?" Aredhel asked, drawing back the cloth to reveal the gleaming white within. The garment spilled out like water, thousands upon thousands of tiny links, beneath which was a layer of silvery-pale cloth. She let out a gasp.

"Mithril from the Khazâd, over spider-silk. Will stop a troll's spear. You have your stepdaughter to thank for it. She wove the cloth and made the thing, I just traded for the chainmail."

"You know the way to a lady's heart." the White Lady breathed, letting the gift run through her hands once more before changing out of her gear.

"Yes yes. Thank me after the battle."

"I'll bring you a Balrog's head."

"Don't think they leave skulls around when they die-dissipate-whatever."

"Shut up, husband, I was trying to be romantic."

"Then I want two. Their weapons too, if you can manage it, I want to reverse engineer whatever the fuck they are."

Aredhel grinned, "Done and done, husband mine. A kiss for luck?"

* * *

"Nee-san!" Shikako was nearly knocked off her feet by the blur of black, "I missed you! Are you going to fight? Mum and Uncle Turgon both forbade me, yet I hope that you or father can gainsay them! They attempted to leave me back in Gondolin but I succeeded in forcing the issue through insisting upon a family reunion. Idril is furious, alas, she has been chosen to hold the fort whilst we sally forth to do battle--I fear she will never forgive me. I require a second opinion on my designs--mum wants something to kill a Maia, but despite mine best efforts and Rog's, there is only so far theory can stretch. You have met Sauron face to face, and served Melian's daughter, I believe that you would know far better."

* * *

BOOM!

"Dwarven mining powder." Shikako grinned as she lit another fuse, "Not quite explosion seals, but almost just as effective."

* * *

"All this fuss because his greedy darkness couldn't keep his hands off three fucking nightlights? They don't even do anything! This 'greatest smith' could've at least turned these into glowing metal!"


	4. Cheat Sheet + Easter Eggs

* * *

**Shikako**

Amdiriel Saelcheneb, hope-daughter wise-eyed, daughter of Eöl and a fellow thrall of Morgoth while the two were planning their escape from Angband. Her mother died during the escape attempt. Handmaiden of Luthien, given that Nan Elmoth is a vassal of Doriath.

An excellent weapons-smith, occasionally weaves spider silk from the small Ungoliant-spawn colony in her forest of friendly horrors and attempts to combine Unlight with Song to recreate Hammerspace. So far, she's been unsuccessful. Lady of Nan Elmoth, peace-maker, deer-rider, dwarf-friend, bringer of light from darkness and Sauron's other nemesis, because it's perfectly reasonable to be tied with a fellow Maia in power, but not being able to penetrate the borders of Nan Elmoth is just too much of an insult to bear, especially when this she-elf is also sowing discord among his troops and stealing them away.

Improvements to canon include: far less creepy Eöl, a thriving forest with mounted deer patrols and orcs and elves living side by side, dark creature rehabilitation, explicitly consensual Aredhel/Eöl, and a Maeglin/Lomion who's actually well adjusted (albeit scandalized by Noldor step-parent/sibling issues).

* * *

**Naruto**

Amrod, the senior twin of the Ambarussar, youngest sons of Feanor. Probably responsible for bringing Feanor a bit closer to Fingolfin during the Valinor years and notorious for yelling inspiring speeches at the Valar when he disagreed with them (Olorin/Gandalf's under suspicion for how Naruto always managed to reach them when he wanted). Was wearing Mandos down to allowing Feanor visitation rights when the whole darkening of Valinor came to pass and interrupted his efforts.

Roams about Beleriand with his twin Amras/Sasuke, making friends, fighting injustice, and ninja-sabotaging/black-opsing Angband's supply lines and the like. Got so lost that he found Gondolin. Is best friends with Finrod. Nienna watches his exploits with rather un-Valie-like anxiety, and is debating whether or not to ask her brother to speed up his reembodiment if he dies, because Amrod's been really quite helpful for the Valar's decision-making process.

Improvements to canon include: Talk-no-Jutsuing the Teleri into ferrying the Noldor to middle earth, thus averting the First Kinslaying and Doom of Mandos.

* * *

**Sasuke**

Amras, the junior twin of the Ambarussar, furious that Naruto got the father-name "last-Finwe" when if anyone's supposed to be the last something, it should be him. Likes Manwe and Orome best, mostly for the raptors. Manwe's favourite Feanorian. May or may not have given the Elder King head scritches once without realizing the identity of the bird.

Roams about Beleriand with his twin Amrod/Naruto, making friends, fighting injustice, and ninja-sabotaging/black-opsing Angband's supply lines and the like.  Slightly jealous about how his Fingolfinwion cousins got eagles when they needed them, but steadily befriending Thorondor and his kin all the same. Definitely the reason the Ambarussar managed to get to Gondolin without the eagles driving them away. Won't admit that he's friends with Turgon. 100% behind Avenge Grandpa Finwe.

Improvements to canon are generally centered around intelligence gathering, spearheading forays into Morgoth-occupied territory, helping his brother Maedhros with the torture recovery and general law-making/managing siblings, helping Kakashi/Celegorm manage the messenger raptors, and persuading the eagles to help. Will probably babysit Gwaihir the Windlord sometime in the far-off future.

* * *

**Sai**

Daeron, Doriath's minstrel, greatest of singers. Inventor of a Sindar writing system and lyrical fiction, beloved by young children everywhere for his _Epics of the Warriors of Love and Justice_. Still a bit socially stunted, but he plays it up to catch people off guard too. Loyal to King Thingol, but very fond of loopholes. Thingol trusts him to speak his mind and provide unconventional advice.

First to establish the pattern that whoever gets sent from Doriath to bring someone else back will just stay with and help his quarry instead. Also engages in espionage on the side out of habit.

Improvements to canon include: suggesting to Shikako that there might be more reincarnates, preventing the formation of gender roles among the Edain, discrediting Saeron, and humiliating Sauron in an embarrassingly bawdy battle of song because the Dark Lord can't understand how his mind works.

* * *

Kakashi

Celegorm, third of Feanor's sons, white haired Hunter of Orome. Owner of the Best Dog Ever, Huan. Besties with Aredhel. Contemplated kicking his father into the water to cool off at Alqualonde.

Feels very guilty for his father's death because he deliberately chose a position far away from Feanor during the first attack on Angband in the hopes that Feanor might get wounded enough to take a breather and think on his plans. Didn't expect the Spirit of Fire to turn into a pillar of fire. Protested the acceptance of the offer of parlay from Morgoth in conjunction with the Ambarussar. Was drugged by Maedhros to keep him from coming with him to the parlay/mutual double cross. Kept trying to infiltrate Angband to rescue his brother. Second most terrifying elf in the world, if you ask Morgoth's forces (Maedhros is the first). Has a pack of hounds, not just Huan. While they can't speak human, luckily, Celegorm/Kakashi can speak good enough Dog to communicate. Circumvented Huan's Speak Thrice Doom by teaching him ninken-sign-language.

Improvements to canon include: mapping out the outer circles of Angband and rescuing many more captured elves during his attempts to reach his brother, helping his brother recover from the thirty years in captivity, establishing falcon-speed communications in Beleriand, spoiling his nephew Celebrimbor, poking his brother Curufin, and annoying Orodreth into growing a spine. Killed a pair of Balrogs. Aredhel killed three.


End file.
